With Banham and Yaxham again breathing down their necks and with other clubs well capable of beating them from time to time, Connaught 'A' are setting out on another long haul to retain the title lost only once in 12 years or so. The squad is strong in depth, although containing several "much of a muchness" players at lead and 2 who will be rotated in these support positions. (The decision has been taken not to deprive the 'B' squad of certain key players; and for both teams husbands and wives are being "kept together" in view of spiralling travel costs.) But the message to rival teams remains "you must win it, because we are not giving it away"!

Connaught 'A' kicked off their season on Wednesday 11 October by beating neighbours, Wymondham, at home by 82 shots to 44 and by 10 points to 0. The match was much harder than the score suggests, particularly before the break when the two Wymondham triples played very well.

On Mat 1 Ray Wells (skip), Sylvia Parsons (2) and Mike Parsons (lead) won 14-11 against a triple skipped by up and coming player Chris Mann. Despite one or two dodgy ends, Connaught played better collectively (how nice to see Sylvia back to bowls) and won 12 of the 18 ends. Chris Mann "saved" for his side on many occasions to limit Connaught to one shot and played fine attacking bowls to win a few ends. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup kept their nerve to beat Peter King's triple 23-15 after a good finish. After some early skirmishing Connaught moved gradually ahead, with Bill brilliant and Diana and John very steady in support, and led 13-5 after 10 ends. On end 11 Peter King was 3 down but with his last shot pulled off a tremendous drive to turn that into 5 up! Game on and Wymondham pulled nearer still to be only 15-16 down after 15 ends but could not sustain the effort.

After the break Andrew Stratton, Keith Banks and Lee Fallows formed a strong triple on paper and came through well to win 26-8 against J Kent; this was simply a case of good, experienced bowlers playing well and giving little away. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales played against the all-family combination of Eddie Tolver and his two daughters. Successive 4s on ends 6 and 7 gave Connaught a cushion and they came through 19-10 against an attacking triple. Without much recent play the Connaught triple buckled down well.

A v Wayland Away

Connaught 'A' played their next match at Wayland on Tuesday 17 October and won well by 79 shots to 50 and 10 points to 0. Before the interval on Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles beat Jane Frary's triple by 16-15 after a hard match. 1-7 down after 6 ends Connaught managed a 5 and a 4 to be 10-10 after 10 ends and then drew ahead to 16-13 after 17. Jane just missed drawing in with the last shot of the match to equal the scores but she had rescued her side on several occasions. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, Alan Marshall and John Winup took a little time to adjust to a very fast and "bendy" mat and were 0-7 down after 5 ends; on end 6 Andrew played a superb last shot to take out Wayland's holding bowl and Connaught held 4. Thereafter, with John drawing very accurately and Alan finding it more gradually, Connaught won the up front battle and Andrew put his opposite number under pressure; the final score was 21-15 to Connaught. After the break on Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Ralf Ramm (making his 'A' team debut) and Russell Hales ran out comfortable winners, 20-7, against a triple which on the night did not have the accuracy and variety of shot. Ralf had a steady game, with Russell and Sheila in very good form. On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Heather Winup (also making her debut) and Keith Banks built up a 10-5 lead by half way and had two 4s in the second half to clinch a win by 22-13. Heather has a forehand weakness on very fast mats but played well on the backhand side; both Ray and Keith in their different styles were strong throughout. With enforced changes putting in Alan, Ralf and Heather for their first 'A' matches of the season, this could have been a tricky fixture and in truth the win required great concentration; nobody could remember a 10-0 win at Wayland before. Just as much concentration will be required at Carleton Rode on Thursday, with the home team likely to be boosted by the talented John Sparham from Hempnall.

A v Carleton Rode Away

Away at Carleton Rode on Thursday 19 October, Connaught won by 86 shots to 40 and by 10 points to 0. On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup won 15-9 against John Sparham's triple. Diana was very accurate throughout, always giving Connaught an advantage, and Bill had several beautifully controlled ends against a good player who was patchily supported; John was steady at the start and finish but had four or five bad ends in the middle through trying too hard. On Mat 2 Lee Fallows, Keith Beavers and Keith Banks started with two successive 4s but lost it a little to be 8-9 down after 6 ends. Thereafter, with 4,3, and 4 immediately following they pulled ahead steadily to win 29-14. In a solid triple Keith Beavers had a particularly good match. After the break on Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons had a dream match against Neil Ramsbottom's triple to be leading 22-1 after 16 ends before winning 22-6 as Carleton Rode came back a bit. Everybody played very well, with Ray having one of those remarkable games which occur from time to time. Everything he tried came off and virtually everything Neil attempted, always against the odds, just seemed to fail; in the end both sides were laughing at the inevitability of it all. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, Heather Winup and Derek Liles were in an initially tight game against D Eastaigh's triple and just leading 6-4 after 9 ends. Carleton Rode could not maintain the pressure, although Ray Lorne played well, and Connaught drew away to win 20-11. Heather, able to bowl backhand, had a much better game than at Wayland and Derek had some good ends; at least one of them was always there. Once he had found the pace of the mat Andrew played very well to consolidate. Regrouping after the sad death of Keith Maughan, Carleton Rode were missing one or two regulars and fielded some players virtually new to the game; it is good to see them still in the league and with some fresh blood.

A v Yaxham Home

Connaught 'A' continued their good start with a win at home to Yaxham on Wednesday 8 November by 78 shots to 51 and by 7 points to 3. Bill Adcock, John Winup and Keith Banks had a tough struggle against a very steady triple before getting home by 19-12. Bill saved Connaught early on with some finely-judged woods but John and Keith rallied well from about end 5 to give him better support. Andrew Stratton, Heather Winup and Lee Fallows were outbowled for much of their match and were 3-14 down after 13 ends when Andrew went to 2 and Lee to skip. A 5 on end 14 and a 6 on end 16 completely changed the match which finished in 18-18; the Yaxham skip, who had played brilliantly, was rather let down in the latter stages when his lead and 2 failed to get in the head. For Connaught, Heather was unsteady on the forehand but usually "found it" backhand at lead; Andrew did better at 2 and may be best-suited to this support role at present when Lee is playing very well. After the break, Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons met a triple on top form and fell behind early on; Sylvia and Ray swapped position and this improved the balance of play. However, Connaught could not pull back sufficiently and went down 14-17 in a deserved win by the opposition. Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales played ruthlessly in winning by 27-4 and ensuring the 2 points for overall shots. The Yaxham triple was probably not their strongest on the night but Connaught did what they had to do very efficiently. A good win overall in which Connaught showed their strength in depth.

A v Connaught "B" Away

Connaught 'A' then played "away", to Connaught 'B' on Saturday 11 November in the first of the two derby matches. Connaught 'A' won by 76 shots to 51 and by 9 points to 1, a score not really reflecting the flow and balance of the match.

On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, Alan Marshall and Keith Banks built up an early 6-0 lead against Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King but were pegged back and led by only 7-6 at the halfway stage. The match remained very close, 9-9 after 12 ends and 10-10 after 15 ends. A 3 on end 17 gave the 'A' triple a 14-10 cushion and seemingly a win, but their opponents drew brilliantly to close out Andrew and to get the shots for a 14-14 draw.

On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Heather Winup and Sylvia Parsons found themselves 0-8 down after 4 ends against Chris Taylor, Beryl Evans and Ken Lurcock, at which point Sylvia was moved to lead and thereafter things improved as the 'A' triple pulled up to lead 12-11 after 12 ends. At 13-14 down after 15 ends they looked vulnerable but finished better to win 20-14. Beryl Evans led superbly throughout and usually gave the 'B' a slight edge although Sylvia responded well. Heather had an inconsistent game, particularly on the forehand side, but played some crucial shots at the end; Ray played well but certainly felt some pressure! Some better head reading between Ken and Chris in the last few ends would have played to Chris's strengths on the backhand side and might have changed the result.

On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Derek Liles built up a 15-1 lead after 9 ends against Terry Dennis, Len Thurston and Marie Head but just lost the second half as they won by 22-9. Keith and Derek built up a steady advantage for Sheila to further exploit and Derek had some particularly good ends. Unfortunately Terry obviously was ill with flu' or a heavy cold but he and his partners never gave up against a good triple.

On Mat 2 Russell Hales, Ralf Ramm and John Winup formed an untried triple against Ty Musk, Moira Eades and Christine Musk and had to battle very hard throughout. A 5 on end 9 gave them a 9-4 margin but the lead was whittled away and Russell and John changed positions after 13 ends. The 'A' triple still went 13-14 down after 15 ends and looked very shaky; Russell and John then each produced 2 brilliant shots on end 16 to give their side a 17-14 lead. The final margin was 20-14 as the opposition were closed out. Moira was the key, resoundingly winning the battle at lead and putting intense pressure on John and Russell. Christine was steady but Ty did not quite play up to his usual standards as the 'A' side clawed their way back.

As Russell commented afterwards, this was a very tough match which the 'B' team might well have won by 6-4; better concentration at the end pressure points just gave the 'A' team their win. Taking all the matches the 'A' scored 23-5 over the last three ends; in the South Norfolk 15 end league Connaught 'B' would have drawn this match 5-5 (in theory). And now to Banham!

A v Banham Away

Connaught travelled to Banham on Wednesday 15 November and won a hard-fought match by 71 shots to 48 and by 8 points to 2. This result was unexpected, with Connaught thinking beforehand that a 6-4 either way would be a good return from this away fixture.

On Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales struggled at first against Tony Blackburn, Val Footer and Julia Blackburn, finding themselves 3-12 down after 9 ends. A switch between Sheila and Russell then lent more aggression to the 2 slot and drawing opportunity for the skip; Connaught pulled up to 14-17 at the end against a good triple. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, John Winup and Keith Banks dropped 4 on the first end against Bill Francis, Val Hambling and Shirley Francis and needed a superb drive from Bill on the second end to convert 3 down to 1 up. Thereafter John found the mat well at lead and Keith played very steadily with his usual mixture of shots; Bill continued to have an excellent match and Connaught came through by 18-11. Bill Francis was perhaps not up to usual form for Banham.

On Mat 3 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons had Connaught's victory of the evening, winning 21-7 against the useful triple of Roger Kerrison, Stan Footer and Gordon Wilcox. A major factor in the win was Mike's welcome return to form at lead after a recent torrid spell; with the triple getting a good start confidence was boosted and Ray and Sylvia were able to bowl very positively . Nevertheless things remained very tight, with low-scoring ends and Connaught leading by only 10-7 after 12 ends. The floodgates then opened a bit as Connaught took control to score 11 shots over the last 6 ends. On Mat 4 Andrew Stratton, Alan Marshall and Derek Liles formed something of a makeshift block against John Williamson, Peter Hambling and Derek Gray but stuck well to their task in another low-scoring match. Connaught led 13-12 after 15 ends and it was anybody's match. However, Connaught then scored 4 and had a vital margin leading to victory by 18-13. Players and spectators confirmed that, while all the players were steady, Andrew had an excellent match in taking virtually every opportunity given to him. As with Mike, a return to best form in a pressure situation.

A v Forncett Away

Connaught 'A' moved on to Forncett on Tuesday 21 November for what proved to be a very tough and in some ways dramatic match. The teams drew on shots 62-62 but Connaught won on points by 7-3.

On Mat 1 Russell Hales, Heather Winup and Derek Liles went down 10-20 to Tony Ottewell's triple. At 8-8 after 11 ends the match was close and tight but Forncett then exerted such pressure that Connaught were 8-20 down after 16 ends. Heather and Derek had been having reasonable games, without being able to dominate, but on his own admission Russell had a bad night. Eventually Russell moved to lead, Heather to 2 and Derek to skip; this made things harder for Forncett without changing much else. At least the two shots gained by Connaught on ends 17 and 18 proved important later. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup found themselves in a hard game against Tony Aldridge and the two Colemans. The match was poised at 7-7 after 9 ends and Connaught were 9-10 down after 13 ends. The closeness was broken when Forncett had a bad end 14 and Connaught turned the screw to take 6 shots and secure a good lead at that stage. Forncett still came back but Connaught held on to win 16-14. For Connaught Diana and John were always there or thereabouts, not always together but one of them usually doing something useful. Albeit with something in the head and with some back woods, Bill still had much to do as Forncett manoeuvred Connaught out of position. In fine form at present, he played key shots throughout the match and his power play was really on song.

Afer the interval on Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Keith Banks played the Rumsbies and Kath Jordan, winning a tight and low-scoring match by 14-8. There was one 3 to each side and one 2 to Connaught; otherwise ends were won by a single shot. Keith Beavers had a slight edge at lead, although sometimes too short through misjudgement of pace. Keith Banks also had some short woods but showed his strength with the running wood on several occasions. Sheila had a good scrap at skip with Dennis Rumsby and just about took the honours. She just missed a very difficult backhand draw with the last shot of the match, which would have given Connaught the 2 points for overall shots. On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons were in an extraordinary match against the Humphreys triple. Mike was steady throughout at lead, but Ray and Sylvia were having problems with pace and width. The Forncett players became more confident after a tentative start and 5 shots on end 7 followed by 4 on end 10 helped give them a lead of 18-5 after 11 ends. Ray and Sylvia then swapped positions at about this point and stemmed the tide with 2 shots on end 12. A 6 on end 13 followed by 3 on end 14 proclaimed "match on" and Connaught took a 19-18 lead after 16 ends. A rather bewildered Forncett triple still had reserves in the tank and took a 20-19 lead after end 17 and possibly were holding 1 shot on end 18 with Sylvia to bowl the last wood of the match; she came up trumps with a good forcing shot and Connaught held 3 to take the game 22-20. A purist might say that 6 and 5 shots should never be conceded but this remained a tremendous match to watch.

Overall Forncett might feel a trifle hard done by but Connaught, without Lee Fallows and Andrew Stratton, gutsed it out on away mats in a fighting performance.

A v Harling Recreation Away

Connaught travelled to Harling Recreation on Monday 4 December and just won what proved to be a desperately close match by 57 shots to 45 and by 6 points to 4. With Harling having returned to the league after several years' absence, most of the Connaught side were unfamiliar with mats reputed to be rather tricky. Nevertheless, with the home side rooted to bottom position and Connaught undefeated, odds still favoured the visitors to win comfortably; a rude awakening greeted them.

On Mat 1 Lee Fallows, John Winup (lead) and Keith Banks played a triple skipped by Connaught member John Askew. Connaught were 0-4 down after 4 ends, finding the mat slow and with several quirks in it. They started to assume control, with each player contributing but with Lee dominating the battle at skip (even after a change), and ran out winners by a crucial 12 shots, 20-8. On Mat 2 Andrew Stratton, Alan Marshall and Derek Liles struggled with the surface, finding neither pace nor width on a difficult surface and being 6-11 down after 11 ends. Things improved when Alan and Derek changed positions and Andrew began to find his touch; Connaught pulled up to 11-11 after 15 ends and the score was still level, at 12-12, after 17 ends. On the last end Andrew had penultimate shot and had to ditch the jack to take it from Harling's holding bowl; he succeeded in ditching the jack with a superb shot but Harling still held by a whisker and Connaught lost 12-13.

After the break on Mat 1 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales dropped 3 on the first end, but pulled back to 4-4 after five ends. A low-scoring match went to the wire at 10-10 after 17 ends. On end 18 Connaught held 2 in excellent positions, with one two inches behind the jack; the Harling skip then precision-drew with his last wood to hold shot just in front of the jack. Seeing that they were probably 1 down Connaught had to go for broke. After some discussion with Russell and Keith, Sheila opted for the forehand drive against the backhand draw; she missed the head and Connaught lost 10-11. Connaught were somewhat unlucky in this match, with the wicks etc usually going against them. On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons were grateful for a 6-1 lead after 5 ends and maintained control until leading 12-6 after 13 ends. A dropped 4 on end 14 changed the nature of the match and the Harling skip found the range with a succession of heavy woods. 12-12 after 16 ends and anybody's match; Connaught then combined well on end 17 to take 3 shots and held on to win 15-13.

Connaught received a severe fright in this match. There was no complacency beforehand; on the contrary people knew they had to concentrate hard. Perhaps they did not quite expect the lowly Harling side to give them their toughest match so far!

A v Watton Home

Connaught played Watton at home on Tuesday 12 December and won by 73 shots to 45 and by 9 points to 1.

On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton skipped Ralf Ramm and Lee Fallows against a triple skipped by Mike Bramsby. Connaught had a steady start, which they maintained to lead 12-4 after twelve ends. At that point Mike moved to 2 for Watton and Brian Dibble to skip and the match changed dramatically. Mike had more freedom to disrupt the heads and Brian's steadier game yielded dividends; Watton pulled up to lead 13-12 after sixteen ends. Connaught regained the lead on end 17 but Watton gained a deserved 14-14 draw with a single shot win on end 18. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, with Diana Adcock and Keith Banks, had a slowish start to be 6-8 down after eight ends. Connaught then asserted themselves to lead 13-8 after twelve ends and held on well to win 18-12.

On Mat 1 after the break Sheila Bragg, with the in-form Keith Beavers and Russell Hales, built up a quick early lead at 10-0 after five ends and this was extended to 18-2 after twelve ends, at which point Watton changed skips (Maggie Dibble for R Harvey) and had a brief flurry. Connaught were in no real danger by this time, however, and won 22-8. Connaught had shown more variety of shot throughout. On Mat 2 Sylvia Parsons skipped a newish combination, with Mike Parsons at lead and Derek Liles at 2, against a triple skipped by B Davies. Connaught took the lead from the start and were 14-4 up after twelve ends; Watton changed skips and came back a little but Connaught continued comfortably enough to win 19-11. The Connaught players all had good games, with Sylvia slotting in well at skip and Derek showing a good range of shot at 2.

Connaught applied themselves well throughout and maintained concentration against a Watton side which, one triple apart, played reasonably enough but without their usual conviction. Doubtless all that will change in the return fixture!

A v Hingham Home

Connaught resumed action after a longish holiday break with a match at home to Hingham on Monday 15 January. Connaught had a big win by 90 shots to 31 and by 9 points to 1.

Before the interval on Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, John Winup and Lee Fallows built up a good margin of 10-0 after four ends against M Frost's triple. Thereafter Hingham found the mat and showed that they were competent players. With a series of low-scoring ends Connaught held on to lead 18-7 after seventeen ends and a 3 on end 18 made the final score 21-7. All three Connaught players had good games and kept the ends very tight when Hingham were bowling well. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles found themselves against a very good triple skipped by John Higgs. Neither side scored more than 2 shots on any end and virtually every one of those ends was very tight. Connaught scored 1 on end 18 to draw the match and this was a fitting result in a match calling for much concentration by both teams.

After the interval on Mat 1 Ray Wells, Ralf Ramm and Sylvia Parsons established a comfortable early lead at 13-0 after five ends against K Thomas. Despite occasional flurries from Hingham Connaught maintained the pressure, with Ralf always steady and both Sylvia and Ray having too much variety and firepower for the opposition. A similar tale ensued on Mat 2 where Sheila Bragg, Alan Marshall and Russell Hales won 31-4 against R Harris, conceding only four single shot ends. All the Connaught players did well and had to maintain concentration against opposition which, on the night, simply could not get their game together.

A v Hingham Away

Connaught played Hingham again three days later on Thursday 18 January, this time on Hingham territory. Connaught won again, by 86 shots to 62 and by 8 points to 2.

On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, Keith Banks and Lee Fallows had a big win by 31-6 against K Buller. All three Connaught players were on good form, with Andrew and Lee almost walking on water as they edged out good opposition bowls and piled on the pressure end after end. Short Mat bowls is played mainly by older people but Andrew and Lee are proving the point that any sport is really a young person's game when ability and application are combined. On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup had a dramatically opposite experience against M Frost, D Frost and R Walsh. A convincing 3 on end 1 by Connaught was followed by a dropped 2 and a dropped 5 but at 6-7 after five ends Connaught were still in it. Connaught then dropped 4, 5 and 5 on successive ends in total disintegration. Hingham went for the kill and Connaught were 6-26 down after eleven ends. By this time John and Diana had changed positions and Connaught went on to achieve some respectability in reducing the margin to 16-29. The first point to make is that Hingham played extremely well and deserved to win. But three experienced Connaught players had a collective bad night; in anything like normal form they might not have won but would not have lost so heavily. Diana was steady enough when leading but for once had to concede to her opp0nent; John bottled it when trying to retrieve and Bill for much of the match was on another planet. Apart from the last few ends the three players could not pull each other through.

After the interval on Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons initially were in a tight match against K Thomas and at 4-4 after six ends things could have gone either way. A well-worked 4 on end 7 relieved the pressure and the determined Connaught players pulled away. Mike was having a very steady game at lead and this removed much of the burden from Sylvia and Ray, who proceeded to consolidate very efficiently with their usual mixture of power and precision. Ray became more and more confident as the match went on, several times blasting Hingham away from holding positions. On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg skipped Heather Winup (lead) and Russell Hales (2) against a triple skipped by the talented John Higgs with wife Jane at 2. This proved the tightest and most fraught match of the evening. For the first half Hingham were well on top, with Jane Higgs playing superbly at 2 and Russell unable to respond. For Connaught Heather held her own at lead but Sheila was playing catch-up against a very competent skip. Sheila and Russell then swapped positions and this made for dramatic change; by a mixture of good play and strong personality Sheila started to win the battle at 2. Heather held firm and Russell had an easier ride as John Higgs was put under pressure. A 4 on end 10 put Connaught back into the game and they pulled ahead to lead 15-13 after fourteen ends. Hingham refused to bow and Connaught were 15-17 down after sixteen ends. Good play by all three, with Russell bowling a tremendous pressure shot, gave Connaught 4 on end 17 and a 19-17 lead. Hingham still came back and after all shots were played on end 18 held 1 with a measure for 2 and a draw. After what seemed an eternity of measure after measure, with Hingham claiming 2 and Sheila firmly resisting, Connaught won the decision and the match 19-18. The presence of a qualified umpire would have lessened the tension!

A v Harling Recreation Home

Connaught's next match was at home to Harling Recreation on Wednesday 31 January and resulted in a win against the bottom club by 97 shots to 46 and by 8 points to 2.

On Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, Ralf Ramm and John Winup won comprehensively against R Buffery's triple by 31-9. With 2 x 4s, a 5 and a 6 in the first nine ends and a score of 24-1 Connaught seemed on the way to some sort of record. The home triple played well together on familiar territory while the Harling players simply could not adjust to the swinging hands. Added to that the Harling No 2 was suffering from an acute nosebleed for most of the match. After halfway the No 2, despite his problem, and particularly the skip started to find the range; several forcing shots were very effective and a possibly over-relaxed Connaught were contained. Ralf Ramm, in one of his occasional matches, had a splendid game at lead for Connaught. A similar story emerged on Mat 2 where Sylvia Parsons, Keith Beavers and Alan Marshall beat R Meek's triple 30-8. There was a more even pattern of scoring ie 14-6 after 9 ends and 16-2 for the second half; Keith and Alan, just a trifle patchy to start with, really came on song for the second half while Sylvia had a good, consistent game throughout. The Harling players tried hard and had some good shots but never had the consistency required.

After the interval, on Mat 1, Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Derek Liles took on R Stevens, John Askew (the John Askew!) and J Court and at 5-6 down after 9 ends knew they were in a match. John Askew was "up for it" and led brilliantly against his Connaught colleagues; his two Harling colleagues were also playing very solidly. Harling scored 4, 1 and 3 on the next three ends and Connaught were 5-14 down. Derek then went to lead and Mike to 2 and a rather shell-shocked Connaught trio began to fight back; five successive ends were won and Connaught had pulled up to 13-14 after 17 ends. With Derek drawing well on the last end the momentum seemed to be with the home side. However, a gap was left and the Harling 2 produced two cracking woods which neither Mike nor Ray could dislodge and Connaught lost 13-16. In truth Harling deserved to win this match having played very well on the away surface (although home for John Askew!). By their own admission the Connaught players had an off night, individually and collectively. Apart from the comeback spell, Mike and Derek were not as accurate as usual and Ray was under constant pressure. But credit to the opposition, who imposed themselves on the game; John Askew will be even more unbearable for the next few days!

On Mat 2 Russell Hales skipped Heather Winup and Keith Banks against A Blakey's triple. Initially this was a very tight match with Connaught just leading, 7-6, at the halfway point. Heather, who bowled very well throughout, really held Connaught together to this point with precise drawing against an opponent who could not find the right pace. However, Harling at 2 and skip, played an efficient driving game which constantly disrupted Connaught's holding positions. A 5 to Connaught on end 10 broke the mould and Harling also conceded 6 on end 15; Keith and Russell became more accurate and Harling's power game became desperate. Harling did mount something of a comeback and reduced the margin from 22-8 to 23-13 over the last three ends.

Without being patronising, Connaught would have expected to win this match even with the weakened side they fielded (no Lee Fallows, Sheila Bragg, Bill Adcock and Diana Adcock). What is interesting and encouraging, however, is that the three more occasional players who came in (Ralf, Alan and Heather) all had very good games; in no way were they carried.

A v Forncett Home

Connaught 'A' played Forncett at home on Wednesday 7 February and won by 88 shots to 42 and by 10 points to 0. The result so easily could have been 6-4 only, however, because Connaught won two matches on the last end. The other two matches saw one huge Connaught win and another sizeable win.

Before the interval on Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, Derek Liles and Lee Fallows formed a strong triple against T O'Hewell. The Forncett players put up a fight but the Connaught players combined well and had too much in reserve as they won twelve of the 18 ends. However, a 4 on end 14 was the only large score, with all the other ends settled by 1 or 2 shots.

On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup knew they were in for a hard tussle against Dennis Rumsby, Joan Rumsby and Kath Jordan, probably Forncett's strongest combination. And so it proved as Connaught conceded two 3s in the first four ends to be 1-7 down; the difference was due to good Forncett play rather than Connaught falling apart. The match then became very tight but a 2 on end 9 reduced the margin to 5-9 at the halfway point. End 10 produced a dramatic change, with good bowling by Diana and John giving Bill 4 shots to build on; Bill drew in his two bowls but Dennis surprisingly failed to break up the tight head with his first bowl. With last wood and 6 down he tried a draw but could cut out only 1; 5 shots to Connaught and a 10-9 lead. The match became tight again as the lead hanged constantly. After 17 ends Connaught were 13-14 down but with last wood on end 18. They did not need it as Diana and John drew in to give Bill 2 shots, but shots which were removeable. Dennis just missed with a draw and Bill protected with an opening blocker; Dennis just missed again and Bill did not need to bowl. 15-14 to Connaught in a steady team performance against a good triple.

After the interval on Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons gave Connaught onlookers a fright as they so nearly snatched defeat from the jaws of victory. With 4 shots on the first end and a steady accumulation of shots Connaught led 11-5 after nine ends and 13-5 after ten ends. They then dropped a 5 on end 11, in a reversal of the Bill Adcock recovery, and Forncett were back in the match. Ray Wells is very much "what you see is what you get" and his forcing game brings about many more Connaught wins than losses. However, the consensus was that he played this end rather carelessly. The match then went evenly and Connaught maintained their lead to be 16-13 up after 16 ends. On end 17 Forncett won the early exchanges as the jack was moved around and Connaught were 3 down as Ray prepared for last wood. The backhand side seemed wide open for at least a saving and possibly a winning shot but Ray opted for a forehand drive under the jack on to a Forncett wood. He missed and the scores were 16-16; Sylvia twirled her towel and gave him the glare! With excitement mounting as the advantage switched from one side to the other Connaught managed a single shot on the last end to win 17-16.

Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales won an extraordinary match against a quite useful triple, on all past experience, skipped by A Aldridge. However, onlookers witnessed a combination of all three Connaught players having excellent games, the Forncett players finding neither the mat nor any form at all, and Connaught having all the luck going. The outcome was a 35-4 victory, with Forncett scoring 2 on end 11 and 2 on the last end as the only reward for their efforts. The two triples could meet a hundred times on that surface and the match would always be much closer, but on this occasion Forncett could never break the stranglehold. As was right Connaught did not relax their efforts, although both sides indulged in a little banter at the comic side of it all.

This was a good evening for Connaught against a useful side but one which does not always bring its home form to away mats. Even so, the points difference might well have been much closer.

A v Connaught "B" Home

Connaught 'A' then faced Connaught 'B' "at home" in the return derby match on Saturday 10 Februrary. Connaught 'A' won by 70 shots to 54 and by 8 points to 2. As with the first match, the final score was a trifle flattering to Connaught 'A' and disguised some tense play and one or two dramatic interludes!

On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, John Winup and Diana Adcock faced Ty Musk, Stan Groom and Christine Musk and found themselves 0-4 down after three ends. This lead was well maintained and Connaught 'A' were 6-10 down after eleven ends and struggling to stay in touch with a triple combining very well. A 2 on end 12 gave the 'A' side some encouragement and they caught up to 10-10 after fourteen ends and took the lead for the first time to lead 12-10 after fifteen ends. A 5 on end 16 proved conclusive and they ran out winners 18-11. However, at about end 12 or 13 (help, anybody?) a bizarre incident occurred. Stan Groom was preparing to bowl when Ray Wells lost control of his bowl on the adjoining mat; Ray Wells' bowl hit Stan on the hand and trapped his right index finger, extremely painfully, between the two bowls! Stan carried on for an end or so but was replaced by reserve, Moira Eades. Moira, coming cold, could not really get into the match. The disruption undoubtedly affected the 'B' triple but whether it affected the match result is impossible to say. The fact remains that this was a good match. Diana and Chris had a real battle at lead, with Diana perhaps getting on top in the latter stages. John did not have a good game overall, coming second to a fit Stan, but still played some key shots. Bill played some good pressure shots on big ends but had a struggle against Ty Musk on top form. The match card shows that the 5 was crucial - one loose end by the 'B' against 17 tight ends.

On Mat 2 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons faced Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King. The bare facts of the match are extraordinary. The 'A' triple were winning ends by good margins while the opposition were winning ends mainly by single shots; this built up to a 17-7 lead for Ray Wells after 13 ends and an apparent stroll home for 2 points. The 'B' triple had other ideas, winning the last five ends and taking eight shots over the last three to force a 17-17 draw. Mike and Judith had a good scrap at lead, Mike's view being that Judith's left-handedness was a useful asset on that mat. Sylvia had her usual consistent game but Phil King kept pace to give Alison something to play with. While Ray generally got the better of the exchanges Alison kept her head and dominated the crucial last few ends, during which Ray faltered a bit and seemed uncertain about the type of game to play.

After the interval on Mat 1 Andrew Stratton, Derek Liles and Lee Fallows faced Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazel. These two strong combinations produced a cracker of a match, with neither side getting on top as the score moved first one way and then the other. The ends were full of good shots, with the two skips having a good battle. At 12-8 up after thirteen ends the 'A' triple just had the edge but a 4 to the 'B' on end 14 changed things totally. A 3 to the 'A' on end 15 was offset by a 3 to the 'B' on end 16 and the match ended with Andrew getting a good draw to a long jack to obtain a 16-16 draw. All six players had good games, with Bob in particular being in excellent form.

On Mat 2 Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Alan Marshall faced Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock. At 5-6 down after seven ends and with the 'B' triple playing positively, Sheila's triple looked a bit shaky. Keith was no more than steady at lead and Alan was inaccurate at 2. The two players swapped positions and this had the desired effect; Alan played reasonably from that point and Keith had a very good game at 2 in which he showed all his variety of shot. Sheila played well with better support and, despite spirited resistance, the 'A' triple were that much better as they won 19-10.

This was certainly a hard match, from which Connaught 'B' can take much satisfaction. However, so can Connaught 'A' who again showed their ability to tough out matches. It was a good evening for the club, with upwards of 30 spectators (mostly rooting for the 'B' team!). The raffle yielded �42, the bar did well and everybody, players and specators alike, enjoyed the post-match buffet

A v Yaxham Away

Connaught 'A' travelled to Yaxham on Thursday 15 February for the next match. The side was much changed from that first selected. Andrew Stratton, Bill Adcock and Diana Adcock all had to scratch. Lee Fallows was originally doubtful and selected as a reserve; unfortunately he could not be contacted to move in to the side. The twelve players left standing from the squad had to play, with two or three getting a very late call. Yaxham away is always a tough one for Connaught and it was no real surprise to lose, the score being 63-67 and 4-6.

On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Alan Marshall and Mike Parsons faced a triple skipped by Russell Harris. Connaught went down by 1 on the first end, were never in the lead but still lost by only 13-15. The first few ends were tight, the score being 5-5 after 6 ends, but Yaxham took charge of the middle period and Connaught were 6-12 down after twelve ends. A 3 and then a 2 to Connaught then turned things round but Connaught could not quite make it. For Connaught Alan did not have a happy night at lead, often bowling too short. Mike had some very good shots throughout and Ray also had a good game.

On Mat 2 Sylvia Parsons, Ralf Ramm and Keith Banks played against Denny Cross's triple. 1-5 down after four ends, Connaught asserted control to lead 14-5 after 10 ends and 16-7 after twelve ends. Ralf was the class act of the night, bowling superbly at lead to hold the advantage end after end. Keith had a purple middle spell, and with this back-up Sylvia needed little encouragement to consolidate. Denny Cross went to 2 after 10 ends, however, and Chris Kettley to skip and both immediately played much better. Ralf continued to dominate but Keith wilted somewhat as Denny Cross put the pressure on; Sylvia had more trouble at skip faced with a more aggressive opponent. Agonisingly for Connaught Yaxham narrowed the gap until the visitors led by only 16-15 after 17 ends; Connaught did mess up one vital end when holding 2 and Sylvia having last wood. Keith perhaps should have advised taking the 2 but the inevitable happened and Connaught went 1 down. A superb start by Ralf on the last end put Yaxham under pressure and Keith and Sylvia played solidly. Connaught held out for 2 shots and victory by 18-15 with everybody congratulating Ralf on his play.

On Mat 1 after the break Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and John Winup faced John and Chrissie Turner and B Steed (how nice to see John back). Initially this was very tight, with Keith bowling tidily, John finding it well after the opening ends and Sheila playing well and confidently. After nine low-scoring ends Connaught led 9-7. The match changed as John Turner found the form of old and Keith and John, while playing well enough against good opposition, could not give Sheila any advantage; five ends saw 13 shots dropped and a scoreline of 9-20 after 15 ends. Connaught still came back to reduce the deficit to 15-21; another John Turner special with the last wood of the match converted a Connaught 3 to a Yaxham 1!

On Mat 2 Russell Hales, Heather Winup and Derek Liles were up against Owen Secker, Rita Secker and Madge Meachen a very useful triple. This was another tight match, with Connaught leading 9-7 after 10 ends (at exactly the same time as Sheila's triple next door). The play became somewhat looser, with Yaxham getting a 4, Connaught a 3 and Yaxham a 3 on successive ends. Connaught were 13-16 down after 15 ends and looking almost out. They recovered well, however, and end 18 started with the scores level at 16-16. With movement of the jack the last end became very tense, for players and onlookers, and nobody was sure who held shot at the end. A period of measuring added to the drama but Connaught took shot and the match 17-16. Heather played bravely, with some good shots later on, but generally did not find the width with her lightish woods and "cut across" on the swinging hands. Derek had one of his best matches for some time at 2 and Russell played very well indeed, drawing precisely or going in with pace as required.

Connaught have no right to say "we would have won at full strength". That would be disparaging to the people who played and to the Yaxham team which won; the point could never be proved anyway. Connaught players observed that a much stronger squad on paper had lost 0-10 at Yaxham two years ago. Losing a 100% record is disappointing but 63-67 and 4-6 is not that bad a result. On to the next match!

A v Watton Away

Connaught 'A' played at Watton on Friday 23 February and beat the home side in a tough match by 69 shots to 48 and by 6 points to 4.

On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons played B Davies, J Hunter and M Hunter. Connaught had a disastrous start, conceding 2, 2 and 3 on the opening ends; Ray had a misdirected last wood which gave Watton the 3 shot end when Connaught held 3. At this point Ray and Sylvia swapped positions and the game assumed a very tight pattern. Connaught gradually eased their way back into the match until pulling up to 12-12 after 17 ends. However, Watton just clinched the last end with a single shot and Connaught lost 12-13. Mike just came second to his opposite number at lead in a good scrap while Ray, despite one or two wayward shots, pulled his game together well at 2. Sylvia, in generally very good form at present, had another very good game; one or two saving shots, whether draws or drives, were quite tremendous. The Watton triple was very competent and they unhesitatingly played pace when necessary as well as drawing well on a swinging mat.

On Mat 2 another tight and tense match took place, with Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles facing M Bransby, D Quadling and M Dibble. Watton started very brightly and Connaught were 3-8 down after conceding 4 shots on end 5. Connaught then had a very good spell, with all three players finding their touch, and led 14-8 after 10 ends. Watton came back a little but Connaught still led 15-11 after 13 ends. Disaster then struck with a vengeance as 6 shots were conceded on end 14 to put Connaught 15-17 down. For once neither Diana nor Derek had a wood anywhere near the jack and Bill, although managing to draw in, was taken out very well by his opposite number. End 15 was "no score" and Connaught pulled back 2 on end 16 to be 17-17 but went into the last end 17-18 down. Diana and Derek set up the head very well and Connaught were 2 or 3 up when the skips came to bowl. Bill did nothing wrong but Mike Bransby managed to break up the head with his first wood and play an immaculate draw with his second. Bill was faced with an immensely difficult "fire" with his last wood, but despite hitting the target well found that Mike's holding wood and the jack ended up in the ditch together! A 17-19 defeat. This was another good match and Connaught were left regretting that 6; to their credit Watton dug in well and were another useful triple.

On Mat 1 after the interval Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales faced G Dibble, R Braham and J Morris. Connaught attacked well from the start, establishing a 7-1 lead after 4 ends, and never lost it thereafter as they won 18-11. Watton always threatened, however, and reduced the Connaught lead to 9-8 after 10 ends but from that point Connaught reestablished control. As is often the case, the advantage was secured at lead where the currently very confident Keith Beavers played well throughout the match. Russell, also in good form, consolidated at 2 and Sheila had one of her typically competent controlled weight games; Sheila also trusted the backhand more than usual on a mat which often left one drawing option. The Watton triple was again more than adequate and Connaught had to maintain concentration and top form to win through.

On Mat 2 Lee Fallows, Ralf Ramm and Keith Banks met R Harvey, J Bebee and E Bebee. Connaught won 22-5 in what was the only uneven contest of the match. Ralf has been a revelation on getting his chance at lead, and despite being reportedly very nervous proceeded to dominate his opposite number. Keith, although letting his attention wander a little at times, played very confidently and was particularly effective with the controlled running wood whenever Watton seemed to have secured an advantage. It is difficult to overrate Lee's form at present. He usually consolidated well from the advantage Ralf and Keith had given him and allowed the Watton skip very little; another very competent display.

This was a hard match against a Watton side regrouping with several new faces and proving themselves very adept on their own mats. Connaught showed once more that strength in depth which in part explains their Breckland League success.

A v Banham Home

Connaught 'A' took on Banham at home on Wednesday 28 February and in an extraordinary match won 76-73 on shots but lost 4-6 on points.

On Mat 1 Sylvia Parsons, Mike Parsons and Ray Wells took on Tony Blackburn, Val Footer and Julia Blackburn. With a 7-0 lead after two ends, including 6 on the first end, Connaught looked in good shape but a resolute Banham triple had not given up. Banham eased their way back with some accurate play and the scores were level at 8-8 after eight ends. At that point Banham started to pile on the pressure and over the next five ends Connaught disintegrated, dropping 13 shots in all including 5 on end 13. At 8-21 down Connaught pulled themselves together and over the remaining five ends reduced the deficit to 18-22, a priceless effort in the context of the match overall. For Banham an experienced triple found good form on a mat which seemed to suit them. For Connaught Mike was steady, but both Sylvia and Ray had spells where they seemed to lose the plot. They were still good enough to stage that comeback. Perhaps the chemistry was upset a bit with the public demotion of Ray to 2; this triple have played together for years and are best left to sort out things themselves.

On Mat 2 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup came second by some way to Roger Kerrison, Stan Footer and Gordon Wilcox. Connaught lost 8-19 in a match of low-scoring ends, of which Banham won 13! For once Diana was on the back foot at lead, often finding Stan Footer's first wood on or very near the jack. The pressure mounted from then on. John got no change out of Gordon Wilcox; he played some good shots but too many wayward ones in an effort to be very precise. Bill was always bowling under intense pressure as Banham built up very solid heads; Connaught woods were there but at best in second place. Too many times he had to go for broke and as a result hit the block much more often than he is used to. The Connaught players were disappointed at their display but should not be too self-critical. They fought hard but lost to a much better triple on the night and one which played very astutely as a unit. Banham's was a team effort but Roger Kerrison must be singled out; he played at least half a dozen really brilliant shots to take an end or give Banham a bigger advantage.

After the break the match on Mat 1 was between Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Andrew Stratton and Banham's Bill Francis, Joyce Goodey and Shirley Francis. Andrew's return after two weeks and a back injury was a welcome sight for Connaught and with him at 2 this triple looked very strong on paper. They proceeded to provide Connaught's one bright spot as they won 32-10, including 6 on end 5, 6 on end 7, 4 on end 9 and 5 on end 11. Keith is in fine form at present and built up the advantage at lead, while Andrew had time and space in which to get going again. In fact he was spot on throughout and never looked as though he had been away. Sheila, also in very fine form, capitalised well. Always aware of the match situation, Connaught kept going well to make sure of 2 points for overall shots. Banham's players were simply outgunned in this one; saving shots should have been their objective but those high-scoring ends were fatal for them.

On Mat 2 Lee Fallows, Ralf Ramm and Keith Banks took on John Williamson, Val Hambling and Peter Hambling in a match which was to prove conclusive to the overall match result. The big win on Mat 1 almost certainly was giving Connaught 4 points to nullify the Banham interval lead and the winners on Mat 2 would give their side overall victory. The match proved very tight, with Connaught gaining a 6-0 lead after four ends but then losing it gradually until they led only 9-8 at the halfway point. Lee decided on a change of position with Keith and the outcome initially was very good, with 5 shots on end 10 giving Connaught a 14-8 lead. Most onlookers thought they would close out the match but it was not to be. Banham tightened up their game considerably and started to win the individual battles. Connaught dropped 10 shots over the next four ends to be 14-18 down. A 4 on end 15 brought them level, but Banham dug in once more to score 2, 1 and 1 as Connaught lost 18-22. For Connaught Ralf was steady but lost out to Val Hambling, a very phlegmatic character, as the pressure mounted towards the end. Keith and Lee both had their moments, whether at 2 or skip, but again faced good opposition. Both Peter Hambling, who bowled too short at the start, and John Williamson peaked in the vital closing stages of the match. The rapport between Lee and Keith is not quite right at present, as is being seen in the South Norfolk League, and Lee moved himself to 2 probably more for personal than for tactical reasons. Keith "takes over" somewhat at 2 (he probably does not realise it) and Lee is not comfortable with the style and often the advice.

On the law of averages alone Banham would win against Connaught 'A' at some time and they are too good a side just to rely on averages. They were up for the match and deservedly won it. The teams do get on well and the winning and the losing were accepted graciously! For once Connaught did not absorb the pressure and and there were those side issues eg Ray/Sylvia, Lee/Keith, niggles about the vagaries of Mat 2. However, 4-6 is not disastrous.

A v Wymondham Away

Connaught followed tough matches against Yaxham, Watton and Banham with a difficult-looking trip to Wymondham on Sunday 4 March. The match indeed proved hard but Connaught were pleased to come away with a win, losing 59-67 on shots but gaining the vital points advantage by 6-4.

On Mat 1 Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons won 16-14 against Chris Mann, M Hallam and S Phillips in an excellent performance. With the talented Chris Mann at skip and the much-improved Steve Phillips at 2, the Wymondham triple would have fancied their chances at home but Connaught took the attack to them and established a 10-1 lead after seven ends. Mike led extremely well and Sylvia was having another very good attacking game. Ray put recent experiences behind him to add to the pressure on a mat which suited his playing style. Inevitably Wymondham came back, partly by dint of Chris and Steve switching positions, but Connaught still led 16-7 after fifteen ends with all three players contributing well. Some slight wobbles set in, however, as Wymondham found real momentum to take 2 shots on end 16 and 4 on end 17. At 16-13 the advantage still lay with Connaught and the away triple closed out the match by conceding just the one shot. This was a good win by three players determined to banish memories of Banham!

Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and John Winup also owed the club something after their performance against Banham and they delivered with a win by 22-14 on Mat 2 against D Clarke, D Durrant and M Fisher. The statistics are revealing because both sides won nine ends but Connaught, with 2 x 5s and 1 x 4 against 1 x 4, played a generally tighter game whereas their opponents failed to save shots on certain key ends. 1-4 down after three ends, Connaught then had a productive spell to lead 12-4 after eight ends, with a 5 on end 7 giving them breathing space. Wymondham then won six of the eight ends from ends 9 to 16 but all by a single shot only; tellingly Connaught had another 5, plus a single shot end, in this period. Leading 18-10, Connaught then dropped 4 on end 17 as Bill had two very good attempts at taking out which just failed. They made amends on end 18 by getting 4 back, crowding the head and with Bill playing a brilliant last wood to take the jack away from Wymondham's second-placed bowl. For Connaught Diana was a bit self-critical afterwards but her teammates thought she played very well. John had an accurate game, with good drawing and some key saving shots; he still needs more pace on the backhand for certain shots at 2. With better support and on a surface which he read very well, Bill had a really excellent match and was the key factor in the size of this win.

After the break Mat 1 saw Sheila Bragg, Alan Marshall and Keith Beavers take on Eddie Tolver and daughters Shirley Foster and Debbie Phillips in what proved to be the critical match of an exciting afternoon. The Wymondham triple are a very strong force on home mats which suit their attacking style and Connaught would have to work hard to get anything from the match. Connaught had a reasonable start before Wymondham woke up and led 4-0 after three ends; the lead was retained at 7-4 after nine ends. The tightness of the match was then broken as Wymondham scored 2, 3 and 2 on successive ends and Connaught, at 7-11 down after twelve ends, were facing a 4-6 defeat overall as Wymondham were slaughtering Connaught on the adjoining Mat 2. Shirley Foster at lead had established an advantage by playing an attacking game and Debbie Phillips built on this very well; however, Eddie Tolver at skip was a having a day when things did not quite run for him and Sheila was able to contain. Sheila then moved Keith to his usual position of lead and Alan to 2. This switch changed the match, not dramatically but gradually as Connaught won a sequence of five very close ends to lead 13-11 after seventeen ends. Keith's play put pressure on Shirley and Alan also played some brave shots at critical times. Sheila is usually cool and ruthless in these situations and she won at least two of those five ends with very accurate shots. On end 18 Keith immediately bowled to the jack and Connaught built up the head; Wymondham did well to get a shot out of the end but Connaught came home 13-12.

On Mat 2 the makeshift combination of Andrew Stratton, Heather Winup and Russell Hales had a nightmare of a match against A Wood, S Wood and P King and went down 8-27 in a defeat which ensured that Wymondham took the two points for overall shots. Andrew had suffered a big defeat on Mat 2 in the equivalent match last year when skipping Keith Banks and Lee Fallows in what was a strong combination on paper. He had remembered this and perhaps it preyed on his mind; he rarely looked comfortable at skip. Heather was drafted in for one of her occasional matches; she did not play that badly but certainly came second in the crucial battle at lead and Connaught were playing catch-up. Russell put himself at 2 to try to balance this triple but this did not work and he admitted afterwards to his worst personal match of the season. Changes of playing position helped Connaught not one iota. Added to all that Wymondham played very well overall, not letting Connaught in very often. The lead was accurate and Peter King, who concentrates harder against Connaught (his other club) than against anybody, simply took control at 2. A Wood at skip got better and better as the match went on and as he realised that Connaught were there for the plucking. The only qualification about Wymondham is that they sent at least a dozen shots off the mat. True, Connaught took no advantage whatsoever but Wymondham might have reached 40 shots with greater ruthlessness.

This match was a mirror image of the Banham match, but this time with Connaught winning three triples narrowly and losing one by a big margin. Offered a 6-4 beforehand Connaught would have jumped at it. Neither side was at full-strength, with Wymondham having to make one or two late changes and Connaught missing Lee Fallows, Keith Banks and Derek Liles. Wymondham had had some huge league wins on their own mats and this was their first league defeat of the season at home.

A v Carleton Rode Home

Connaught 'A' took on Carleton Rode at home on Wednesday 21 March in the penultimate match of the league season. Connaught 'A' won 97-39 and 10-0.

On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Derek Liles faced J Sparham, O Smith and A Beales and were pleased with a good start and a 9-1 lead after five ends. Thereafter the match was extremely tight and Connaught eased home by 18-7, with Carleton Rode winning just seven single shot ends; other than the home side's 4 shots on end 3, nobody scored more than two shots on any end. With Connaught having the better of the exchanges at lead and 2, the match turned into an excellent contest between the two skips. Bill Adcock represented a slightly older generation and John Sparham the up and coming one. Both Bill and John played some very good shots and both put the other under pressure on numerous occasions. Usually starting from a disadvantageous position, John Sparham did have a good game and impressed onlookers with his good-humoured approach. Credit to Diana and Derek for having very sound games and laying a solid foundation for Bill. Derek was pleased to find his touch after the Hempnall SNL match!

On Mat 2 Lee Fallows, Heather Winup and Andrew Stratton took on R Davidson, G Davidson and D Easthaugh. A slow start saw Connaught 2-6 down after five ends, with the Carleton Rode triple finding the mat and playing confidently. For Connaught Heather was in good touch from the start but Lee and Andrew were patchy. Once the two county players were on song, however, the match became a rout; a bonus was that Heather had her best match of the season, continually finding the jack and also playing good positional woods. The final score was 43-8, with Connaught scoring 3 x 4, 3 x 5 and 1 x 6. Russell Davidson changed positions with Derek Easthaugh in an attempt to stem the tide but the move did not work as Connaught had too much in the bank. Rightly, the home side never eased up or treated the match lightly; that would have been patronising.

After the interval and on Mat 1 Ray Wells, Ralf Ramm and Russell Hales played N Ramsbottom, M Newby and P Rush. The home triple won 20-9 as their all-round strength proved conclusive. The website reporter, with plenty to occupy him on the adjoining Mat 2, caught glimpses only of the match and has relied on these and post-match comments from onlookers to construct a report. Ralf Ramm, a steady but run of the mill club player, was drafted into the squad to make up numbers and to play the occasional match. By constant practice he has turned himself into one of the club's best leads and now commands a regular place. Again he had a very good game and Russell built on this with very steady play; therefore Connaught usually had a slight advantage when the skips came to bowl. Neil Ramsbottom thus found himself in his customary position with Carleton Rode, bowling under pressure. Additionally he was faced by the unorthodox style of Ray Wells which has confounded him at times in the past. In fact the match proved very tight, with Connaught leading 13-5 after fourteen ends and with neither side scoring more than 2 shots on any end. A 4 and a 3 to Connaught and a last-end 3 to the visitors rather broke up this pattern. Carleton Rode did not play badly at lead and 2, despite conceding the advantage, and Neil had a good match to contain the score; Connaught were made to work.

Mat 2 saw the match of the night with Sheila Bragg, Keith Banks and John Winup facing T Colley, W Shooter and D Shooter. The Connaught triple, although knowing each other well, were a one-off unit for this match. They settled in steadily to start with and led 7-2 after five ends. Thereafter Carleton Rode started to play really well and almost took Connaught apart; the 7-2 lead became 8-12 down after eleven ends and 9-14 down after thirteen ends. Wendy Shooter was having a tremendous match at lead and maintained that level of performance to the end. Derek Shooter was not so consistent but from a Connaught viewpoint had the irritating knack of playing the key shot at key times. Terry Colley, always a very steady player, was encouraged by his support and became more and more confident against Sheila. Keith and John would have been much happier playing in each other's position from the outset, but accepted that Russell (and Sheila) did not see it that way. Sheila agreed a change after about eleven ends and it made a slight but discernible difference; John drew in steadily, although Wendy did not falter, and Keith's ability with controlled weight was seen. Sheila got the bit between her teeth and Connaught clawed back shots. 9-14, 11-14, 12-14, 13-14, 13-15 after seventeen ends. A tense last end saw Connaught just holding one as the skips bowled. Terry was in the more difficult position - how to contain without giving it away and which side to bowl. He was just short with his first and Sheila threaded through a backhand to make it 2. Terry needed a precise forehand draw for shot or to reduce to one; he just went long. After consulting Keith and John (!), Sheila went for broke. The forehand draw was very risky but she made it and Connaught won 16-15; Sheila once more showed that total determination at the finish. Understandably the Carleton Rode players were devastated and the Connaught players were slightly apologetic. They had dug in well but a draw really would have been fairer.

A v Wayland Home

Connaught 'A' finished their league season with a home match against Wayland on Tuesday 27 March, which was won by 90 shots to 56 and by 8 points to 2.

On Mat 1 Bill Adcock, Diana Adcock and Keith Banks played A Baldry, I Prime and V Baldry. The outcome was an overwhelming win for the home triple by 34 shots to 6, with the unfortunate opposition triple outgunned by three players on top of their form. Perhaps the Connaught players, all beaten at Earsham in the SNL the previous evening, had a point to prove! They all concentrated hard, combined well and played all the shots. Scorecard examination shows 1 x 5 shots end and 4 x 4 shots ends in a very good win.

A totally different story unfolded on Mat 2, where Andrew Stratton, Alan Marshall and John Winup faced M Hector, B Hector and M Smith. The match was extremely tight for most of its duration, 5-4 to Connaught after nine ends and still open with Connaught 7-10 down after thirteen ends albeit that Connaught were looking distinctly groggy. Up to that point Wayland had played extremely well while Connaught were always on the back foot and just managing to dig in. Beryl Hector at lead always gave Wayland the advantage in the game of a lifetime; Alan still played pretty well and John also ground it out against a number 2 playing to her best form. The skips usually bowled to crowded heads and could not change very much. Andrew, however, was nowhere in sight and as Connaught went 5-8 down after eleven ends John moved to skip. At the 7-10 point everything clicked for Wayland and they scored 6 on end 14 to put Connaught out of sight. Alan and Andrew were nowhere and John's nerve failed him with two reasonable chances to save shots. A shattered trio lost 10-21 to opponents who thoroughly deserved to win. Andrew had nearly called off after a mad rush at and after work and patently was not geared to play and Alan and John, who should have changed position at the outset, were not strong enough to compensate.

After the break Sheila Bragg, Keith Beavers and Russell Hales took up position on Mat 1 against J Frary, J Prime and E Frary. Connaught dropped 5 shots on end 2 but still led 7-5 after four ends! At the halfway point the match was poised at 9-9 and was 13-13 after twelve ends. Thereafter Connaught totally dominated to run out winners by 25-14. The competent Wayland triple should be "disappointed" at letting a tight match slide in this way. They were holding their own and Jane Frary's aggressive play constantly, if sometimes unintentionally, disrupted Connaught heads. The Wayland lead and 2 seemed to lose concentration just as Connaught tightened their game for the closing stages. Keith, from being there or thereabouts at lead, became dominatingly accurate and Russell also upped his game to the level of the previous evening at Earsham. Sheila, who had played steadily throughout but in a relaxed manner for her, needed no second bidding to capitalise and Jane, under pressure whenever she had to bowl, could do little about it. The match in the end showed a greater will to win by the Connaught triple.

Mat 2 saw Ray Wells, Mike Parsons and Sylvia Parsons pitted against T Rugg, J Wales (Hales?) and P Smith. At 7-2 up after four ends, they then inexplicably dropped 6 shots and found themselves 7-8 down. Unlike Andrew Stratton and Co, left shell-shocked by a dropped 6 on end 14, this triple was made of stern stuff and they took the attack to Wayland. Scoring 11 shots over five ends Connaught were 18-8 ahead after 10 ends. Wayland came back well but were contained mainly to single shot ends as Connaught won the match 21-15. For Connaught Mike had a generally good game at lead, with occasional lapses, and Sylvia played her usual varied game as precise drawing was mixed with some fierce driving. Ray also played very steadily against an opponent who did not always find the mat but who never gave up and played some good shots.

The match had a slightly unreal air about it, with Connaught assured of the league title and Wayland in a comfortable mid-table position, and with the players knowing each other so well there was quite a bit of laughing and joking. Andrew's triple did not laugh very much, however, and while accepting defeat sportingly did not like it one little bit. The Wayland players did not seem to mind losing, however, and perhaps that showed a difference in attitude.

"A" Team 2006/7 Summary

Connaught 'A' have again ended a Breckland League season as champions and by a sizeable points margin. The winning sequence goes back several years from Yaxham's win in 2000-2001. 6-4 defeats at Yaxham and at home to Banham were the only blemishes on a solid season's performance, with a 16-person squad working well for each other under Russell Hales' captaincy. Commitment and availability have been excellent. The strength in depth perhaps is the feature which currently singles out Connaught 'A' from the other Breckland League sides. Banham and Yaxham at full strength can match it but suffer much more when strong players are not available. Connaught's fringe players seem able to come in and "do a job" helped by the experience around them. A further bonus for Connaught is having two young county players, Andrew Stratton and Lee Fallows, in the squad. The Tens and SNL experiences also help the competitive edge, with players used to different venues and varied opposition. Nevertheless, the Breckland League act is a hard one to follow each year and some unfortunate captain may have to surrender the title at some point!

Breckland A-Team Table

Click>>Away team for match report - (keyboard backspace to return to table)

All the Club is hoping that Connaught 'B', with a squad that many smaller clubs would envy, will overcome the collective malaise of recent seasons and achieve the mid-table position of which they are capable.

B v Harling Home

Connaught had a tremendous start by beating Harling on Wednesday 4 October by 91 shots to 43 and by 10 points to 0. Harling, rejoining the league after several years' absence, met a full-strength Connaught 'B' and found it a difficult task despite fighting hard in two matches. Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Philomena King won 18-15, Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk won 18-7, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock won 36-4, and Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell won 19-17.

B v Wayland Home

Forced to make some team changes, Connaught then faced the more experienced Wayland at home on Friday 6 October and went down 55-62 and 2-8. Ty Musk, Len Thurston and Chris Musk lost 11-14, Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 13-19, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock won 24-10, and Joyce Hazell, Pauline Groom and Stan Groom lost 7-19. Simply put, Connaught lost the two close matches and each side won one match easily. The Chris Taylor triple is playing very confidently but the others just failed to withstand the pressure exerted by a good Wayland side on the night. A slightly disappointing result at home after the thunderous start two days previously

B v Banham Away

Away to Banham on Wednesday 25 Oc ober, Connaught 'B' went down 39-81 and 0-10. On Mat 1 Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell went down to the Hamblings and John Williamson 7-21 in a match where Banham always had the edge; John Wiklliamson was on top form. On Mat 2 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock lost 9-21 to the Blackburns and Val Footer in another match in which Banham were simply too good on the night. On Mat 3 Ty Musk, Beryl Evans and Chris Musk produced Connaught's best performance of the night when losing 13-18 to Roger Kerrison's triple. After Beryl and Chris swapped position at 5-14 down after 13 ends, Connaught recovered well to be only 13-14 behind after 17 ends and holding shot for a tie on end 18 with Roger to bowl the last wood; he did so very effectively and Banham held 4! On Mat 4 Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King held their own for 7 ends or so and then gradually fell behind against Jim Delaney's triple to lose 10-21; Alison had some good woods but generally Connaught could not muster the accuracy required. Banham away was always going to be difficult and realistically Connaught 'B' were never going to win there. The extent of defeat remained disappointing

B v Wymondham Away

Connaught then travelled to Wymondham on Sunday 29 October for a rearranged match. Unfortunately the County Pairs had been overlooked and Connaught were short of four regular players against Wymondham's one. Connaught lost by 43-81 and by 2-8 in another match where they were outgunned. Before the interval Joyce Hazell, Beryl Evans and Moira Eades went down heavily, 6-27, against A Wood; despite the score the captain reports the Connaught triple as fighting hard and being unlucky to lose by that margin. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Alan Evans lost 15-18 against T Emms; with Alan playing very well indeed, Connaught were 13-6 up after 9 ends but unfortunately could not withstand the Wymondham comeback in what proved a key encounter. After the break Ty Musk, Len Thurston and Christine Musk provided a bright spot for Connaught in winning well, 17-10, against J Kent. Len had a good game at lead and the Musks produced the steadiness and skilful play which they bring regularly to the side. Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King had a bad afternoon against Eddie Tolver and daughters and were crushed in a 5-26 defeat.

B v Forncett Home

Connaught 'B' fortunes revived considerably at home on Wednesday 1 November with victory against the useful Forncett side by 66 shots to 64 and by 8 points to 2. On Mat 1 Alison Rush, Beryl Evans and Moira Eades lost 14-21 against T Ottewell. The Connaught triple won only 6 ends, but in the context of the total match secured a priceless 4 shots on the last end. Connaught were under-powered, with Moira light of shot at 2, but improved when Alison and Moira swapped position. On Mat 2 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock built up a useful 12-4 lead after 8 ends against Denis and Joan Rumsby and Kath Jordan, a strong triple. Not unexpectedly, Forncett came back in the second half and a 4 to them on end 16 reduced the Connaught lead to 15-14. Nerves held as Connaught won 16-15 with Chris in particular having had a superb game. After the break on Mat 1 Terry Dennis, Len Thurston and Marie Head formed a makeshift triple but played brilliantly to beat A Aldridge by 21-15. Len played very steadily at lead and Marie played confidently under good guidance from Terry, always a good reader of the head; Terry himself drew well and had some good forcing shots on the forehand. On Mat 2 Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Chris Musk found themselves in a very tight match against P Lock, with few shots separating the teams throughout the game. Connaught led 13-12 after 16 ends and held on to win 15-13 as a result of very cool and steady play in those closing stages. On paper Connaught were weaker than usual, with the Oatways not available and other players giving priority to another social engagement, but those playing pulled together.

B v Hingham Away

Connaught 'B' lost 3-7 at Hingham on Monday 6 November. Joyce Hazell, skipping Len Thurston and Moira Eades, lost a close match by 14-17. Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk in an even closer match, drew 14-14. Alison Rush, Beryl Evans and Phil King lost 12-23. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock won by 18-17. Blow by blow details of these matches, showing the ebb and flow of the games, are not available but the bare facts show the closeness of three matches. Had those matches gone slightly differently Connaught could have won 6-4. Conversely they could have lost 0-8! Perhaps 3-7 was not a bad return, but Hingham, even away, is a fixture where Connaught 'B' must hope to win.

B v Connaught "A" Home

The home match against Connaught 'A' on Saturday 11 November was lost 51-76 and 1-9. Full details are recorded in the 'A' team section above. The match was heartache for the 'B' team, which came extremely close in three matches but managed only one draw against two losses in those matches. In the two losses they were leading by one shot with three ends to play but contrived to lose each by 6 shots. Alison Rush's triple had shown the way by securing the draw against Andrew Stratton with 4 shots on the last end. The differences between the teams were marginal - even Terry Dennis's triple, which lost 9-22, won the second half after a bad start (and Terry was ill) - but the 'A' team had that resolve to close out the matches. Scorecard analysis shows that the 'A' team scored 23-5 over the last three ends and that must give Connaught 'B' food for thought

B v Yaxham Home

At home to Yaxham on Wednesday 15 November Connaught 'B' went down by 74 shots to 80 and by 4 points to 6. Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Moira Eades lost 12-29 against Russell Harris. Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 14-21 against M Meacham. Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell won 23-13 against O Secker. Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk won 25-17 against D Cross. Bob and Elaine Oatway's return to join Joyce Hazell in last year's winning triple gave Connaught a boost and when available they will always give the side more depth. Ty Musk, Joyce Catling and Christine Musk produced another good result but only after an amazing comeback from being 3-15 down at one point; they showed real fighting qualities and are a triple which play well together. This high-scoring match against a competent Yaxham side was a good effort by Connaught 'B' and the sort of close result of which they are capable against most Breckland League sides. Fielding 10 women and only 2 men, the team perhaps is a little short on firepower when it is needed but unfortunately there are not enough men available for a better mix.

B v Watton Away

Connaught 'B received what can only be called a severe drubbing at Watton on Sunday 3 December, going down by 39-81 and 1-9. Only the bare scores are available and they perhaps tell most of the story. Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 7-21, Ty Musk, Moira Eades and Christine Musk drew 12-12, Joyce Hazell, Terry Dennis and Carole Beavers lost 11-27, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock lost 9-21. Ty Musk's triple again played well, this time with Moira Eades replacing the holidaying Joyce Catling. With Bob and Elaine Oatway available for only 50% of the matches (a position declared up front before the season started), Alison simply does not have that experienced depth to hand and Watton away is never easy at the best of times. With Stan Groom now making himself unavailable the options are further reduced but the team must press on and at least make the most of their home matches.

B v Carleton Rode Home

At home to Carleton Rode on Wednesday 6 December Connaught 'B' took advantage of home mats by winning 84-50 and 10-0 against a side which "spread" their experienced players to even up their triples. Connaught 'B' were missing some regular players, who had opted for another social engagement, but were fortunate in having Bob and Elaine Oatway available.

On Mat 1 before the interval Bob Oatway skipped Elaine Oatway and Alan Evans (playing against his old club) against Terry Colley's triple and built up lead of 11-0 after five ends as Carleton Rode had trouble with the mat. After Carleton Rode adjusted the match evened up, with Terry Colley playing some skilful shots, but the experience of the Connaught triple brought them home 19-9. Mat 2 saw a very entertaining and good quality game in which Chris Taylor skipped Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock against Russell Davidson's triple. Perversely, Carleton Rode found the mat better at first and Connaught were 4-12 down after six ends. Mary had been been bowling too short against the accurate Gill Davidson but then found the length and the match changed. Ken had a good spell and Chris built on better support. With two 3s and one 4 Connaught moved to a 17-12 lead after 12 ends. Carleton Rode came back well, with Russell bowling some damaging heavy woods and Connaught were just holding on at 18-17 after 15 ends. In a nip and tuck finish everybody bowled well, particularly the skips, but Chris Taylor had the last word in edging Connaught to a 23-17 win.

On Mat 1 after the interval Ty Musk skipped Len Thurston and Marie Head against Olive Smith's triple. This match had its amusing side as most of the leads and 2s seemed to favour the less predictable side of the mat and the two skips often had to deal with some unusual-looking heads! The home triple at least built up the early lead, 9-1 after five ends, which was just as well. Carleton Rode whittled this down to 13-11 after twelve ends, but a brave forcing wood by Olive on end 14 just failed and conceded 4 shots. Connaught held on to win 21-12. On Mat 2 Alison Rush skipped Beryl Evans (also playing against her old club) and Phil King against Neil Ramsbottom's triple. Neil was something of a nemesis for Alison, who had never beaten him in serious competition. This was the night things changed and Connaught came home 21-12 after losing the lead only once, at 7-8 after eight ends. Beryl and Phil provided good support throughout and usually gave Alison the advantage while putting Neil under some pressure. Alison played some bold shots at times and seems to be adapting better now to the pace of Connaught's mats. Neil again had an evening where even the best shots just went the wrong way and he really needed more in the head for things to go his way.

Connaught 'B' were delighted with this win, which undoubtedly will pose Alison some selection problems. An onlooker's view is that Carleton Rode might have formed two strong triples from their twelve players and forced a 4-6 or even a 6-4. This would have been miserable for their other players, however.

B v Carleton Rode Away

Connaught 'B' resumed action after a long break with a trip to Carleton Rode on Monday 8 January 2007 for the return fixture. Connaught 'B' maintained their confident form with a hard-fought win by 66 shots to 64 and by 8 points to 2.

Before the interval on Mat 1 Chris Taylor skipped Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock against Terry Colley, Wendy Shooter and Olive Smith. The Connaught triple, strong on paper and with a good record, came second-best to a competent Carleton Rode trio and lost heavily 8-21. The Connaught players could not find the mat all night, often being short, and the opposition simply piled on the pressure. A case of saying "well done" to the opposition and looking ahead to the next match!

On Mat 2 Alison Rush skipped Len Thurston and Phil King to a 24-18 win against Russell Davidson, Dilky Briggs and Paul Brown. The match was even at the start, with Connaught leading 8-7 after eight ends; it then went crazy with Connaught dropping 4 shots on end 9 but gaining 6 on end 10 to lead 14-11. Connaught then had a purple patch to lead 24-13 after 16 ends but were careless, in the overall context of the match, to drop 4 shots on end 18. The key to the win was securing the advantage at lead and 2, with Len Thurston having a particularly good game at lead. Alison also played well against the competent Russell Davidson but was relieved generally to have the advantage when going up to bowl.

After the break on Mat 1 Connaught's strongest triple on paper, Ty Musk skipping Christine Musk and Elaine Oatway, faced probably the strongest Carleton Rode triple in Neil Ramsbottom, M Newby and Pam Rush. The match lived up to expectations and was poised dramatically at 11-11 after 14 ends. Connaught had established a 10-3 lead at the halfway point but Carleton Rode amassed seven shots over ends 10, 11 and 12 and seemed to have gained the momentum. Connaught then gritted their teeth when it mattered, not always a feature of Connaught 'B', and closed out the last four ends to win 16-11. The three experienced Connaught players, apart from the one dodgy spell from ends 10-12, generally got more in the head than their opponents and this just gave them the advantage as Neil was forced into a series of pressure shots. Even so, this was a close one; from a Carleton Rode viewpoint the leading needed to be more accurate.

On Mat 2 a scratch triple of Stan Groom (happily back in harness), Moira Eades and Alan Evans faced Ray Lorn, A Beales and D Easthaugh and came through to win 18-14 in a sometimes scrappy match but one in which the triples were evenly-balanced. It was also a match in which no clear pattern of play emerged because the players mainly were inconsistent, sometimes brilliant individually and sometimes dreadful. At 8-8 after nine ends the outcome was unclear, but a 4 for Connaught on end 11 helped them to a 14-8 lead after twelve ends. This was reduced to 14-12 after fourteen ends but the triple rallied well. For Connaught Stan Groom played some very good saving shots at skip throughout the match and these were key to the result; for Carleton Rode the number 2 played some disruptive forcing shots on several ends which wrecked good Connaught positions. Stan Groom became so intent on the match that on two or three occasions he thought the end was finished and picked up the mat before the opposing skip could bowl last shot! No gamesmanship was intended but the action might have affected concentration and Connaught apologised.

B v Watton Home

Connaught next tackled Watton at home on Wednesday 17 January and went down to a heavy defeat by 45 shots to 84 and 0 points to 10. The barest details are available.

Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 5-26 (apparently with the perennial Terry Crockett in devastating form), Ty Musk, Elaine Oatway and Christine Musk lost 12-14, Stan Groom, Terry Dennis and Marie Head lost 10-24, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock lost 18-20. Without knowledge of the ebb and flow of the matches it is difficult to comment, but the two tight matches indicate that Connaught on another night might even have scraped 4 points. They did not on this particular night, however, and Watton' s strength in depth gave them maximum points.

B v Yaxham Away

Connaught 'B' played much better in their next match, away to Yaxham on Thursday 1 February, when they lost by 54-79 and 4-6. Only the bare details again are available.

Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King won 19-15, Ty Musk, Moira Eades and Christine Musk lost 9-21, Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Stan Groom lost 9-27, and Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Terry Dennis won 17-16. The Ty Musk and Bob Oatway triples on paper looked the two strongest in the Connaught team and yet both appear to have been hammered. Without knowledge of the opposing triples it is difficult to comment but the scale of the two losses certainly put paid to any chance of 2 points for overall shots. The positive side is that two triples had narrow but excellent wins and that 4-6 for Connaught 'B' away at Yaxham is a very good result.

B v Connaught "A" Away

The return league match was played on Saturday 10 February with Connaught 'B' as the away side. Connaught 'B' lost 54-70 and 2-8. A full report is given under Connaught 'A' above. It is worth repeating that Connaught 'B' played very well, with two triples drawing and two losing hard-fought matches against a side used to bowling under pressure. Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King can look back with real satisfaction to their spirited recovery from 7-17 down to 17-17 against Ray Wells' triple. Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell also deserve plaudits for drawing 16-16 against Connaught 'A's' strongest triple in Andrew Stratton, Derek Liles and Lee Fallows. (Link to A report)

B v Forncett Away

Connaught 'B' travelled to Forncett for the next match played on Tuesday 13 February. Connaught went down to quite heavily, 42-80 and 0-10 to a side which they had beaten 8-2 at home. Only the basic scores are available for the return match and these give no hint of the ebb and flow of the four contests.

Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost comprhensively 6-23. Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Moira Eades went down 12-22. The other two matches were slightly closer - Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock 12-18 and lastly Ty Musk, Terry Dennis and Chris Musk 12-17.

B v Hingham Home

Connaught 'B' recovered well the next evening, Wednesday 14 February, beating Hingham 'B' at home 65-54 and 8-2. Again only basic details are available.

Alison Rush, Moira Eades and Phil King won 16-15, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock lost 10-19, Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell won 22-12, Ty Musk, Chris Musk and Stan Groom won 17-8.

B v Banham Home

Connaught 'B' had to wait a month for their next match, at home to the successful Banham team on Wednesday 14 March. The wait was well worth it, because Connaught 'B' surprised Banham (and probably themselves) by winning 66-63 and 6-4.

On Mat 1 Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King took on Tony Blackburn, Val Footer and Julia Blackburn, the Banham triple which had had a stunning victory against Connaught 'A' on the same mat. 0-5 down after two ends Connaught never caught up and despite flurries went down 14-21 to competent opponents. Connaught had a good run from 2-10 down after seven ends to 10-16 down after fourteen ends, but could not really aspire to much more. In the context of the match overall Connaught also did well to take four shots over the last two ends. The Connaught players all had good shots individually and at times combined well, but Banham drew in more consistently on the swinging mat and Tony Blackburn could demolish the head if necessary. Judith lost the battle at lead but did not play badly. Alison and Phil played bravely throughout, but at this level and on that mat could not always control weight or manage the very wide draw.

On Mat 2 Ty Musk, Chris Musk and Stan Groom faced Roger Kerrison, Stan Footer and Gordon Wilcox (the same Banham triple beat Bill Adcock's triple on the same mat in the 'A' team match). The match produced a series of brief spells on top (three to four ends) for both sides. 3-6 down after six ends Connaught pulled back to lead 8-6 after ten ends, but then conceded 2 and a disastrous 5 on end 12. At 8-15 down after fourteen ends, Connaught needed a miracle; the miracle did not come about but the home triple pulled back bravely to lose by only 15-18. Five shots gained over the last two ends were key to the total match result. The 5 on end 12, when Connaught were level at 8-8, effectively killed off the match and all three players had a bad end at the same time. Whenever Chris beat her opposite number Connaught either won the end or contained Banham. However, by her standards she had a patchy match and Stan Footer is too good a lead not to cash in. Chris had lost her mother a day or so before, and although the death was not a surprise she probably was affected by it. Stan Groom is Stan Groom and had some brilliant shots interspersed with some that were dreadful; with his rather awkward stance and action he does lose balance from time to time. Ty had a good match under pressure and saved his side on several occasions, but was still muttering into the night about that dropped 5 and his part in it!

Two matches and 10 shots down at the interval, Connaught 'B' were staring into the abyss but things began to change in a gradual but very exciting fashion. On Mat 1 Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Joyce Hazell faced John Williamson, Pater Hambling and Derek Grey. 3 up after the first end Connaught never lost the lead but still won by only the narrow margin of 16-12. In terms of both sides playing well together, this was probably the best contest of the evening. Elaine and Peter had a good battle at lead which Elaine probably just shaded; Peter never has a really bad match, but with short woods on occasion he was not at his very best. At 2 the outcome was 50/50. Joyce is a positive bowler, with a good temperament and lots of outside experience, and she was able to play the really key shot - for example on the last end. Bob and John also had a tight battle throughout the match, with Bob's power tipping the balance more than once.

On Mat 2 Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock took on Jim Delaney, Val Hambling and Michael Seager. The home triple is a bit mercurial, having had some good wins but also some bad defeats. On paper the Banham triple looked a bit lightweight against their other combinations and the contest was hard to predict. Connaught established a 5-0 lead after three ends but then dropped 4, 2 and 1 to be 5-7 down after six ends. Connaught then hit a purple patch to lead 15-7 after eleven ends and maintained their lead to win 21-12. Val had started to win the battle at lead but Michael, who usually has problems on Connaught mats, was not finding it at 2. Similarly Jim, recently recovered from an operation, was not in good form. When Val and Michael swapped positions, Mary played very well at lead and Val found Ken's power game difficult to contain; as a result Connaught built up the advantage and Chris played confidently at skip with pressure removed. This was a good team effort and the three Connaught players, urged on from the sidelines, maintained concentration to the end. A mention for Ken, who had one of his very best games.

Banham accepted defeat with good humour but will feel that they should have won after their good start. Scorecard analysis shows that the losing Connaught triples gained 9 shots over the last two ends and the winning triples did not concede any. Connaught 'B' are no longer a soft touch after twelve ends or so and are holding their nerve better. This was a prized win for them, ranking alongside the 8-2 defeat of Forncett.

B v Wayland Away

After the glories of the victory against Banham, Connaught 'B' came down to earth on Tuesday 20 March and lost by 62 shots to 74 and by 2 points to 8 at the always difficult venue of Wayland. Only the bare scores are available in this report.

Joyce Hazell, Hazel Banks and Moira Eades lost 14-27, Ty Musk, Christine Musk and Stan Groom won 21-15, Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock lost 12-13, Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 15-19.

The absence of Elaine and Bob Oatway always weakens Connaught 'B' and in the circumstances this result does not seem that bad. The Chris Taylor and Alison Rush matches were very close and might just have gone the other way. Ty Musk and Co again had a good win.

B v Harling Rec Away

The next evening, Wednesday 21 March, Connaught 'B' were again on their travels, this time to bottom-placed Harling Rec whom they had thrashed at home in the first match of the season. Harling, who had stretched Connaught 'A' on the tricky home mats, gained their revenge as Connaught lost 56-58 and 3-7. Again no detailed report is available.

Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock lost 13-15, Alison Rush, Judith Adam and Phil King lost 7-19, Bob Oatway, Elaine Oatway and Moira Eades won 21-9, Ty Musk, Chris Musk and Stan Groom drew 15-15.

This match was even closer than the Wayland match the night before. Chris Taylor again had a very narrow defeat and Ty Musk drew. So many ifs and buts. Yes, Connaught 'B' might have won this one, but the fact is they did not!

B v Wymondham Home

Connaught 'B' completed their league programme at home to Wymondham on Wednesday 28 March and lost in disappointing fashion by 52 shots to 81 and by 1 point to 9. Again nothing but the bare details are available.

Chris Taylor, Mary Fallows and Ken Lurcock drew 16-16, Joyce Hazell, Hazel Banks and Moira Eades lost 11-26, Ty Musk, Christine Musk and Stan Groom lost 11-21, Phil King, Judith Adam and Alison Rush lost 14-18.

Chris Taylor's triple had their third close match on the trot and this time forced a draw, while Phil King's triple came fairly close. The two other defeats were by considerable margins. Wymondham are an up and coming side, younger than most in the Breckland League, but with a reputation for not travelling well. This is the type of result they need to move on yet further, but equally Connaught 'B' would have expected to challenge more on home mats.

Connaught 'B', despite a limping finish, ceased to be cannon fodder this season and climbed yet further up the table to finish ahead of Hingham, Carleton Rode and Harling Rec. They recorded 6 wins, with the most notable being 8-2 at home to Forncett and 6-4 at home to Banham. However, they will not be happy with 0-10 and 1-9 defeats at home to Watton and Wymondham respectively; Connaught 'B' players are very familiar with home mats and should make more of home advantage. Connaught 'A' were rather flattered to win the two derby matches by such convincing margins, only their match-hardness pulling them through against players "up for it" on both evenings.

Alison Rush took over the captaincy this season and is to be congratulated on establishing a reasonably settled squad and in maintaining continuity in block selection. There was less chopping and changing than previously and people were given the chance to form working units. The fulltime availability of Ty and Christine Musk, who rejoined the club only towards the end of the previous season, gave Alison two players much-improved as a result of experience in the City League. Bob and Elaine Oatway, who fulltime almost certainly would be in the 'A' squad, were available for just over 50% of the matches and formed a very strong triple with Joyce Hazell. Joyce has become a very good short mat player and at 2 in a useful triple was a force to be reckoned with. At full strength Connaught 'B' proved they could give anybody a match and just need a little more depth and power. Rarely able to field more than 2 or 3 male players in their matches, they were outgunned in the power stakes from time to time. However, the positive side is that Connaught can still field two full squads in the same league; no other club in Norfolk can do that.

Club Championships

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LEAGUES AND COMPETITIONS

SHORT MAT EXTERNAL LEAGUES

Breckland League

Breckland "A" Team

Breckland "B" Team

Breckland "B" Team Table